Chapter 3 Chapter 3
Amber
The admission center was nothing like I expected.
Instead of the cold, boring walls, I walked into a warmly lit office with wooden floors and walls lined with certificates and academy photographs dating back decades.
A middle-aged woman sat behind the desk, her reading glasses perched on her nose as she reviewed a stack of papers. She looked up when I entered and smiled.
"You must be Amber," she said, standing up to shake my hand. "I'm Mrs. Smith, head of admissions. Please, sit."
I lowered myself into the chair across from her, suddenly aware of how exhausted I was from the journey and the mud-caked hem of my jeans.
"Let's get you sorted, shall we?" She pulled out a form and began filling it in with practiced efficiency. "No pack affiliation, correct?"
"Correct," I said.
"Age?"
"Eighteen."
She nodded, scribbling notes, asking me a few more standard questions before sliding a key across the desk along with something else.
"Dorm room 237, east wing. You'll be sharing with another student until you get sorted into a group. And wear that all the time you are inside the gates."
I pocketed the metal band. “Thank you”
Mrs. Smith's expression softened. "The academy can be overwhelming at first, especially for students without pack backing. But you wouldn't be here if you didn't have what it takes. Good luck, Amber."
I stepped outside and was immediately ambushed.
"Did she give you the whole 'you wouldn't be here if you didn't have what it takes' speech? She gives that to everyone. I'm Ellie, by the way, and we're roommates, which is amazing because my last roommate transferred out after two weeks because she said I talked too much, but I don't think I talk too much, I think I'm just enthusiastic about life, you know?"
Ellie had curly auburn hair pulled into a high ponytail, bright green eyes, and an energy that could probably power the entire academy.
She grabbed my suitcase before I could protest.
"Come on, I'll show you our room first. before I give you a tour of the academy."
"Okay"
"I'm from the Riverbend pack, but don't worry, we're super chill. Not like those uptight Crestmoor pack kids."
Ellie talked the entire way up two flights of stairs, down a hallway, and into room 237, which was exactly as she'd described: small, cozy, with two beds, two desks, and a window.
I set my bag down on the unclaimed bed.
"I already picked this side, hope that's okay," Ellie said, gesturing to the bed by the window. "Are you a morning person? Please say yes. My last roommate was nocturnal and it was a nightmare."
"I'm fine with mornings," I said, and Ellie beamed.
"Perfect! now let me show you around campus before it gets dark."
Ellie's tour was comprehensive and chaotic. She pointed out the dining hall, the training grounds, the library, and several buildings I immediately forgot the names of because she was talking at approximately three hundred words per minute.
I wasn’t really paying attention and bumped into someone.
“Ew, what's that sweaty smell?” I heard a high-pitched voice and looked up to see a girl staring back at me angrily.
Ellie immediately jumped in between. “Relax, she is new, Alice.”
Alice swatted Ellie away like she was a fly and looked at me.
“Where is your band, mutt? Didn’t anybody tell you that you have to wear it all the time inside the gate?”
I let my gaze drift to her neck and saw a sleek band that could have been a fancy choker.
“Don’t even think about it. Only the best students get under the wing of Kade and he will kill you if he sees you wandering around without a band. Put yours on, now!”
Before I could retort, Ellie stepped in and fished for the band Mrs Smith had given to me out of my bag and put it on me.
“As I said, she is new and a human, she isn’t familiar with the rules.” Ellie added.
“Then make her or the next time she won't have legs to walk around” Alice barked and walked away, purposely slamming on my shoulder.
“What the hell was that about?” I asked Ellie who pulled me closer and dragged me to a corner.
“She is Alice, wanna be girlfriend of the guy who got flung at the pillar by Damian.”
“Damian?”
“Oh don’t tell me you didn’t notice that handsome broody hot guy who had Mr Clarke dangling in the air.”
“The silver eyed guy,” I recalled.
“Yes!! He is rumored to be the only living descendant of the Mad Alpha King who went rogue a few years ago.”
“Mad Alpha King?” I asked aloud and Ellie shook her head. “I keep forgetting you are human. So, there used to be five alpha kings who used to rule Zephyron right? Legends say that one of them went mad with bloodlust and tried to kill everybody before killing himself. Nobody knows how Damian survived but he just showed up at the academy because none of the alphas want to take him in their packs and the academy is the only neutral ground.”
Technically, I wasn’t just a human but turns out I lived a very sheltered life.
Ellie began dragging me again. “So just stay away from him because some believe he inherited the bloodlust from the Mad King.”
No wonder, he didn't think twice about thrashing a staff member.
“Even though he could use all that pent up energy for other…purposes, you know.”
I didn’t.
"And whatever you do, don't be late to the introduction tomorrow," Ellie said as we climbed the stairs back to our room.
I stopped. "What introduction?"
"Every year, all the new students are introduced to the alpha heirs," Ellie said. "It's this whole big thing. You stand in front of them, they look you over, and if you're lucky, one of them takes an interest in you."
My jaw tightened. "Takes an interest?"
"Yeah, like, they might invite you to join their group or offer you a special scent band or just… acknowledge you exist," Ellie said. "It sounds shallow, but trust me, if you want to survive here, you need to get on an alpha heir's good side. Or at least not piss them off."
She gave me a pointed look. "So tomorrow, wear something nice, style your hair. Try to stand out a little, but not too much. And don't forget to wear your band."
I felt the familiar burn of anger rising in my chest.
I'd been sent here to escape being paraded in front of alphas like a prize, and now I was expected to do it all over again.
"Got it," I said flatly.
Ellie didn't seem to notice my tone. "Great! I'll help you pick out an outfit in the morning. This is going to be so fun! Goonight."
The last thing I thought about before falling asleep was Damian and his silver eyes.
He sounded dangerous.
But I had no idea why that didn't scare me the way it should have.